Rotor wheel



A. J. SYROVY ROTOR WHEEL May 15, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 5, 1949May 15, 1956 A. J. sYRovY 2,745,353

RoToR WHEEL Filed May 5, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 52T: f/ /j i in l] y51-fi #i g j; l@ M. 4 j/ .E :l1 52 I ,l

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crease in diameter of the wheel.

United States Patent O 2,745,353 o ROTGR WHEEL Augustin J. Syrovy,Detroit, Mich., assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich.,a corporation of Delaware Y Application May 3, 1949, Serial No. 91,957 2Claims. (Cl. 103-115) processes. Stamped wheels have been somewhatcostly to manufacture due to the labor required in assembling thevarious wheel components and wheel balancing has presented additionalproblems. structible core methods have been relatively costly v tomanufacture due to the time consuming and relatively expensive stepsassociated with this type of casting process. Due to the conventionalcurved shape of the blades of a hydraulic torque converter rotor wheel,it has been practically impossible to cast this type of wheel by a diecasting process and consequently the more expensive and time consumingmethod of casting the wheels with destructible cores has been thegeneral practice. The curvature of hydrodynamic torque converter wheelblade elements heretofore used has usually beensuch as to preventremoval of the blade forming die from the Vwheel mold without destroyingeither the blades or the movable Vdie so consequently cast rotor wheelshave usually been formed by molding processes using plaster of paris orsand core elements that are destroyed in order to remove the cores fromthe integrally cast wheels. It is obvious that a destructible coreprocess would be considerably more expensive than a die casting processwhere a permanent type of die core could be used continuously toquickly, easily and economically fabricate bladed wheels, all of whichwould have the same smooth, accurately formed, blade element faces.

lThe rotor wheel comprising this invention is conventional in that itincludes an outer peripheral rim portion, an inner coaxially arrangedhub portion and a plurality of radially extending, curved, bladeelements connected between the rim and hub portions. In order to permitformation of this rotor wheel as an integral unit by a die castingprocess, the curved blade elements are shaped such that they havehelically curved faces formed Vwith a constant lead or helix anglewherein the angularity of the blade element-faces progressively increasewith in- Formingfthe blade elements with A*a vcurvature that isgenerated by a line having a constantlead so as to produce a variableblade angle with increase in diameter of the wheel permits the bladeforming die core element to be screwed out of the wheel casting and thusa permanent type of core element may be used to fabricate the rotorwheels by conventional vdie casting processes or the like.

In addition to providing a rotor wheel that is easy and economical tomanufacture, -it has been found that the helically shaped blades of arotor wheel formed in accordance'with this inventionare ecient andparticularly adapted Vfor use as the 'guide vanes in a reaction wheel ofa hydrodynamic torque converter or the like.

Thus not only is it possible to increase the production rate and reducethe wheel cost due to the use of permanent type die molds and coreelements, but in addition the die casting methods give very smoothsurfaced rotor vto prevent turbulence in the fluid passed through thevwheel Wheels cast by de- Y 2,745,353 lliatented May l15, 1956 "Ice andthis tends to increase the eiciency of the torque converter unitutilizing such a wheel.

While this invention is primarily concerned with an improved type ofreaction wheel for a fluid torque converter, still, the scope of thisinventionis not restricted thereto and is limited only by the wording ofthe apd pended claims.

lt is an object of this invention to provide a helically bladed rotorwheel wherein the curved blade elements are shaped such that a permanenttype of die core may be used to form the blade elements, said core beingeasily retracted from the cast wheelfwithout damage to either the wheelor the core element.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a bladed rotor wheelwith helically curved blade elements wherein the curvature l'of theblade elements has a constant lead, and the blade angle, and thedistancebetween the blade elements progressively increases with increasein diameter of the wheel from the hub to the peripheral rim.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved method ofmanufacture of rotor wheels having curved blade elements which willpermit fabrication of the rotor wheels by die casting or the like.

Fig. l is a plan view of a rotor wheel formed in ac- Vcordance with thisinvention, certain of the blade elerments being omitted for the sake ofclarity;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the rotor wheel shown in Fig. l, theview being taken along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; Y f

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the blade elements of thewheel of Fig. l, the section being 'taken along the line v3---3 of Fig.l;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation through a wheel casting die assembly inwhich a wheel is being formed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 5 Vis a framentary rsectional elevation of the die Vand containedwheel shown in Fig. 4, the view being taken along the line 5-5 of Fig.4; Y Y

Fig. 6 is another fragmentary sectional elevation of the die andcontained wheel, the view being similar to Fig. 4 but showing themovable die core element retractably screwed part way out of the wheelunit;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation Aof a portion of the die assemblyand contained wheel, the View being taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 5with portions of the die components being broken' away and shown insection to more clearly disclose the arrangement of theV wheel withinthe die assembly;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation similar to Pig. 7

but showing the core ring of the die assembly screwed completely out ofthe wheel unit, certain parts of the die assembly being broken away andshown in section for the sake of clarity;

Figi. .9 is a fragmentary perspective view of portions of the wheel hub,a blade element and the wheel rim with reference lines indicating thevariation in blade angularity between the hub and rimgand Fig. l0 is asectional View through the wheel in the plane of the wheel axis andshowing the development of a helical blade element having a constantlead.

The rotor wheel 12 is an integrally formed unit comprising an annularhub portion 14, a concentrically arranged peripheral rim portion 18 anda plurality of axially directed, helically curved, radially extending,blade elements 20 connected between the hub and rim portions 14, 18. Hubportion 14 has a radially extending flange portion 15 to facilitatemounting of the rotor wheel 12 on a suitable supporting member. Flange15 may-be bolted, riveted or welded to a supportingmernber (not shown)in any well known manner. The hub `portion 14 (see Figs. 2, 4 and 6) hasan outer, axially'e'xtending, Ysurface 16Y that is curvedradiallyinwardly from 'the Y and also improves the flow ofthe Y the wheelpassageways 24. Y g

`counterclockwise Vunscrewing movement'.

the die parts 41, 43 and 45 in assembled relationship.

left side of the wheel towards the right side of the wheel soV that thesubsequently described movable. die Ycore element 45, used to form thewheel, may be readily withdrawn from the right side of the wheelcasting. The in- 'ner axially Y'extending side A19 of the rim portion 18is likewise sloped Vradially'outwardly from Vthe left'side of thewheeltowards the right side `of the wheel to facilitate removal of the coreelement 45 from the wheel. The

Ydivergence ofthe surfaces 16 and 19 facilitates removal of the bladelelement die core from the wheel casting The blade elements 20 are formedwith helically curved 4faces12^1 and 22 each of which has a constantlead L (see Fig. 10), and a blade'angularity AA-BB V(see Fig.V 9)

progressivelyinc'reases with increase in the diameter D1 to D2 (seeFigl) of thewheel 12. Furthermore, the

working iluid through P (see Fig'. 5) between adjacent; blades 20progressivelyr increase in Ywidth with increase in diameter of thewheel. The helically curved blade elements 20 are generated about theaxis ofY rotation -0 (see Fig. 10) ofthe wheel 12 and the blade elementlead L remainsY constant even though the angle ofthe blade elementvaries from the hub to the peripheral rim (seefFig. 9). To maintain theblade elements of uniform thickness, it is necessary for'the distancesbetween blades P to progressivelyl increase as the diameter of theVwheel increases from the hub 14 to the rim 18 (see Fig. 5 It is possibleto vary Vthe thickness of the blade elements by varying the rate ofchangefofthe Ydistances P with change in diameter of the Wheel andVstill withdraw the die from the wheel mold for the movement of the dieis in an axial direction.

n Fig. is thought to clearly show the method of'de- Y velopment ofthewheel blades ysuch that the blades gressive variation in bladeangularity permits withdrawal of the blade .forming/core, element 45without destruc' tion of the blade or core upon unscrewing of the coreelement about an axis that coincides with theaxis of the rotor wheel. 1Y

Figs. 4-8 show a portion of the die .casting apparatus used to fabricatea rotor `wheel in accordance with thisV invention. Numeral 41 representsa portion ofthe die that would ordinarily be mounted on the iixedVvplaten of a die casting machine A(not shown).v Also mounted on thefixed platen of the die casting machine is another die part 43. TheVVfixed portionof the dieis made up of the two parts 41'and 43 toprovide a means for lock ing thercast wheel 12 tothe fixed platen of thedie casting (not shown) Vand are adapted to`be movedrelative to eachother during removal of the wheel fromrthe die.

lManufacture of the wheeldisclosed may be accom-k plished by'assemblingthe die parts'41, 43, 45 and 47 in assembled relationship as shown VinFig. 4. Thereafter sucient molten metal under'pressure is introduced toVthe die through a gate (not shown), this metal com- Y pletely fillingthe die'cavity. After the molten metal has hardened in Vthe Ydie thenthe` core element 45 is retracted out of the cast wheel 12 by a lefthanded or Fig; 7 shows Vhy the arrow 49. Fig. 8V shows the core elementV45V completely removed from the wheel 12 by the axial un- 1 Ybe usedtov form the rotor. wheels.

45 from the cast Vwheel 12, the core element Y451s provided with a guidepin 51 that extends intoa guide channel 52 formed in the peripheralsurface ofthe cylindricaly crore element 47. AThe guide channel 52 is ahelically Vformed groove having a constant 'lead so that the ngers 46 ofcore element 45 Vmay be readilywithdrawn from lbetween the wheel bladeelements 20 whencore element 45 is Vrotated, in acounterclockwisedirectionwhen look'- ing .at Fig. 4 inthe direction ofthe'arrows 5*-511 `ItY is to be understood that^the term die casting asused. herein includes pressure and gravity die casting aswell kaspermanent mold casting and related, processes that f depend upon the useof'a permanent type of corel element,

I claim: f'

l1. An integrally cast rotor wheel comprising' concentricallyY arrangedannular hub and rim `portions with radially extending, axially directedblade "elements connected.-

throughout their extent, and aucircumferential spacingw e betweenadjacent blades that Vprogressively increases with increase in thediameter ofthe wheels 2. An integrally .cast rotor wheel comprisingconcen- .trically arranged annular hub ,and rimportionswith radiallyextending, axially directed blade Yelements connected between Vthe hubVand rim portions, said blade `elements` each having helically curvedopposite faces generated about the axis of rotation of the wheel, -saidblade elements having a twist wherein` the angularity of twist variesuniformly with'increase in' the diameter of the wheel wherebysaid'helicallyfcurvedzblade element faces have constant `lead throughouttheir extent, Vand a circumferential spacing between adjacent bladesvthat progressively increases withvincrease inthe diameter of the wheel,said hub Vand rim .portionsrofV the ;wheel having axially extending,opposed surfaces ,extending ,between Vthe adjacent blade elements that`divergefrom one Side of the wheel towards the oppositev side thereof."V

AReferences Cited in the'le of this patent UNTED yS'L'IES VPATEIWIS Y i'383,217 FoxV V May 221888 v 500,080 Rateau ..n June 20, 189,3 506,572Wagener^ n..a 0ct. 10, 1893` 1,518,502 i Gill e Dec.V 9, 1924 1,546,554Y Y Ross July 21, 1925 1,738,210 Sargent Dec."3, 1929 1,937,461 MyltinoNov. 28 1933 2,108,080, Schultz ;Feb.i15,1938 2,205,054 Wemp June118,194,0 2,287,496 Popper June.231942 Y 2,356,338Y Misfeldt Aug.22, 1944 Y2,391,523 'Sorensen v Dec. 25, 1945 2,481,541 Schneider Sept, `13,19492,493,240 Ernrnert' y Ianf3, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS;l Y e Y Y e e 544,718Great` Britain A Apr. 24, 1942' 594,538 Great Britain Y. Nov..l3, Y1947YOTHER.Rumaniaons e Y Y Marks Handbook,4thnd., copyright v1941V (pagei156).

